Clinical trials: need to strike balance, says Azad

Noting that the industry has voiced concerns regarding regulations on clinical trials in the country, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said there is need to strike a balance on the issue.
"...Industry feels that regulations we have made are too difficult; ...I think, what we need to do is strike a balance...," Azad told reporters here.
Speaking on the sidelines after inaugurating Baxter Global Research Center at Syngene here, he said "...What we are hearing from the industry is that earlier the number of clinical trials which was taking place has dropped to half, more than half."
"While we are happy that the new dispensation is in the interest of the country and is in the interest of the patient on whom the trials were taking place, at the same time we should also see that new innovations should come up and whole industry should not fall short of holding clinical trial...," he said.

Stating that we have done our best having gone through observations made by the Supreme Court, NGOs and Parliamentarians, Azad said, "At the same time, we will have to accommodate the view point of the industry as well."
To a question whether any "tinkering" was going on in the government about the same, he said "no, not at the moment".